Nut driver



May 20, 1947. E. E. ERIKSSON NUT DRIVER Filed July 12, 1944 Patented May 26, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Claims.

This invention relates to tools and more particularly to tools of the nature known as nut drivers for use in quickly securing a plurality of nuts to their studs. This tool is particularly useful where it is necessary to use large quantities of nuts when assembling built-up parts, such as in work on airplanes; automobiles; radios, etc., wherein valuable time is wasted while nuts are threaded first by hand and later tightened by a wrench of some type.

This invention also has as a further object an improvement in a magazine type nut driver wherein the unscrewed nuts are stored within the bore of a detachable magazine, said magazine being disposed within the main body of the driver, which driver permits only the subsequent expression of the nuts one at a time under the influence of a control system located within the head of the tool.

While the drawings illustrate an embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that in adapting the same to meet diiierent conditions and requirements, various changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the nature of the invention.

The above and, other objects will appear more fully from the following description, and from the drawings, wherein Fig. l is a side elevational view of the device per se;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a section taken substantially on line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a section taken substantially on line 5-5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a. sectional view of the head showing the dogs in a diiferent position;

Fig. 7 is an elevational view of the tube which contains the magazine, showing the bayonet lock connection;

Fig. 8 shows a split ring spring which forms part of the coupling mechanism shown on the upper end of tool, Fig. 1; and

Fig. 9 shows a socket which is detachably connected to the spindle of a driving mechanism and which socket fits over the hex projection shown on the driven end of the tool, Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawings, numeral I 0 designates a cylindrical tube formed of tool steel, plastic or other well-known substance substantial enough to stand the strain required of a tool of this character. Formed as an integral part of tube is is coupling II which consists of a projection formed hexagonally, the hex being the same size as the nut being used in the tool. Midway on hex H there is formed an annular recess adapted to receive split ring 32, shown in Fig. 8, the hex and ring forming a locking or coupling mechanism later to be described. Detachably secured to the opposite end of tube [i3 is head [2, the same being knurled to form a turning grip to enable the user to disengage the head from the tube when desired. Head !2 is formed in two parts, the front or active portion of the head l3 being formed in the shape of a cone to engage the threaded portion of the stud to be threaded or engage the nut being used. Section !3 is also threaded to engage section l2, and when the two parts or sections are engaged they form the complete head.

Suitably nested within tube I there is provided a detachable magazine l4, the same being open at both ends, hexagonal in shape and adapted to receive a plurality of hexagonally-shaped nuts and hold the same in aligned relationship within said magazine. It is necessary with the present invention to have one tool for each size of nut being used, but each tool may have any number of magazines which can be loaded at any time ready for use. The magazines may also be constructed of any cheap material, such as tiff paper, plastics, etc., but they must conform to the particular tool in which they are used as to the shape thereof and size of nut being used in that particular tool.

So that magazine M may be quickly inserted within tube Iii, head 12 may be easily disengaged from tube ill by a simple half-turn of same which will disengage same from bayonet lock l5, Fig. 7. A coil spring ll, having a piston [8 disposed within the lower end of same, is provided and formed to fit telescopically within magazine l4 and serves to eject the nuts l6 one at a time as permitted by the nut retention dogs l9,

Figs. 2 and 6. These dogs l9 are located in head by said ring 24 and rides in a pair of opposed slots 25 to allow longitudinal movement of ring 24. Shaft 25 also rigidly supports stud 21, which is adapted to receive one end of coil spring H. A bayonet lock 23 is also provided for ring 24 to lock said ring in a set position for a purpose later to be described. Pins 28 in head l2 project inwardly to contact bayonet lock Hi to lock head l2 to tube It].

The manner in which the device operates is as follows:

It is necessary to have a separate tool for each size of nut being used, but each tool may have any number of magazines just so long as the magazines are adapted to receive the size nut being used in the tool. The magazines are loaded in advance and kept ready for use when needed. To load the tool the complete head i2 is removed from the main body of the tool 50 and ring 26 is slid to the tools extremity near the driver coupling at the top thereof. The ejecting end of filled magazine it, with the fiat side of nuts E6 toward ejecting end of said magazine, is first inserted into removed head I2 until same abuts against shoulder 3! formed therein and which acts as a stop and also aligns the nut-ejecting opening in the magazine with hexagonal opening 2? in head l2. By inserting the ejecting end of magazine it into head l2 first, the nuts are prevented from slipping out as spring pressure is later applied. The opposite end of magazine id is then inserted into tube lil until its open end abuts against shoulder 38 formed therein. As the magazine is being inserted, piston l8, which in turn is disposed within coil spring ll, engages the last nut it in open end of magazine M, and inasmuch as the opposite end of coil spring l? is aligned with and engages stud 21, as the magazine travels into tube IE1, coil spring I? is compressed and pressure is brought to bear on nuts l6 tending to force them downwardl in the magazine toward the ejecting dogs !9. When the magazine has been inserted its entire length, head !2 is then looked into place by means of bayonet lock 55. The tool is then ready to use.

An air driver, or other type of driving mechanism, is then coupled to coupling II. As shown best in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the coupling is formed hexagonally, the hex being the same size as the nuts being used in that particular tool. A split ring 32 is seated midway on said hex I! in a groove provided therefor, and to engage said hex there is also provided a socket 35 adapted to engage said hex, the socket being hexagonal in shape and having an annular recess midway therein so that when the socket engages the hex the same is snapped into place in non-rotatable engagement so that when the socket and hex are locked, and the driver rotated, the entire tool Ill is turned in a clockwise direction. The spindle on most driving tools is threaded and the socket 35 is constructed with a threaded recessed end portion adapted to receive the threaded portion of the spindle used on most driving mechanisms. The reason for making the hex l I the same size as the nut being used in that particular tool and the socket capable of fitting thereover, is that the user may use the socket 35 in the driving mechanism to further test if a nut has been driven home. The user simply disengages the socket from the hex and the socket being capable of engaging the nuts being used in that particular tool, the socket is placed directly over the nut to be tested to see if same is tight.

As the user places the active or housing nose portion l3 of head 12 against threaded stud 30, Fig. 6, which is to engage the first nut in magazine l4, and as the entire tool It rotates in a clockwise direction, the spring pressure exerted by means of spring I! tends to force nuts l5 downwardly towards head i2 through magazine i l. As the first nut catches the tread of stud til the first nut has been forced out of magazine I l into hexagonally shaped opening 20 located in head l2, where it rests, as shown in Fig. 2, with the forward or hooked portions of dogs l9 tending to prevent the nut from falling out of the head. As the nut engages the stud and is driven home, the opposed dogs l9 rock on their pivot the slight distance allowed by split ring 2'2, which passes thereover, and which expands sufficiently in annular groove 23 to allow this slight expansion to take place. As the nut I6 passes the hooked portion of dogs $9 the leg portion of the dogs is forced downwardly to prevent the next nut from being ejected, Fig. 6. Once the engaged nut has passed out of head l2, dogs it return to the position shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings and the operator moves the tool to the next stud to receive the next nut. As more nuts are threaded to their studs the tension on coil spring I1 is lessened and to take up this slack the operator simply slides knurled ring 24 clownwardly in slots 26 and locks same in bayonet lock 2's, Fig. '7. Inasmuch as stud 21 is held rigidly to shaft 25, and stud 21 engages coil spring H, spring I! is compressed against the nuts remaining in magazine M so that the nuts remaining in said magazine will be used. When the last nut in magazine [4 has been used, it is time to remove head it and reload. It will be seen from the above description that but one nut can be released at a time and once a nut has engaged its threaded stud and been driven home, the dog and spring mechanism has brought another nut into place ready to engage the next stud to receive a nut: In high speed production where it is necessary to thread a number of nuts on to a plurality of studs it will be seen that with this type of tool, its capacity is only limited by the activity of the user and his ability to reload the tool quickly with a filled magazine, once the one in the tool becomes exhausted. The tool is simple in construction and has but few working parts to wear. The working housing [3 of head [2 is threaded upon head !2 and may be quickly removed revealing the ejecting mechanism comprising the pivoted dogs and split ring spring which passes over the opposed dogs and tends to hold them in their normal position shown in Fig. 2. A refilled nut magazine may be inserted quickly by simply removing entire head l2 which is removed from its bayonet lock I5 by a simple half-turn. The magazine H3 fits neatl within tube H), the lower or ejecting end of same aligning with hexagonal opening 2?] in head i 2 so that the nuts from magazine It pass downwardly in proper alignment and the ejection mechanism in head i2 is so constructed that but one nut at a time may leave the tool and simultaneously bring the next nut into position to engage the stud thread.

There has been disclosed herein a tool of unique design and one that has proven most practical in actual high-speed production where it is necessary to thread a great number of nuts onto a plurality of studs in a short period of time. Although the invention has been described as applied to a specific installation, it is understood that certain variations and modifications may be employed without departing from the fundamental principles as indicated by the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a driver for nuts of non-circular configuration, a tubular body, a detachable driving end on said body detachably secured to said tubular body and having a bore of the size and shape to drivingly engage a nut to be driven, means for receiving driving movement and imparting said driving movement to said body, an elongated tubular nut receiving magazine adapted to be inserted within said tubular body, and means to secure the tubular magazine to hold said nuts in vertical alignment with said driving end.

2. In a driver for nuts of non-circular configuration, a tubular body, a detachable driving end on said body detachably secured to said tubular body having a bore of the size and shape to drivingly engage a nut to be driven, means for receiving driving movement and imparting said driving movement to said body, an elongated noncircular tubular nut receiving magazine adapted to be inserted within said tubular body once said detachable driving end has been removed from said tube, the same being adapted to hold said nuts in vertical alignment with said driving end, and spring means for constantly urging the nuts out of said magazine and into driving relationship with respect to said bore in said head.

3. In a driver for nuts of non-circular configuration, a tubular body, a detachable driving end on said body detachably secured to said tubular body, an elongated non-circular tubular nut receiving magazine adapted to be inserted within said tubular body once said detachable driving end has been removed from said tube, said magazine being adapted to hold said nuts in vertical alignment with said detachable driving end, a sleeve member slidably mounted upon said tubular body, spring means interposed between said sleeve member and the nuts in said magazine, said sleeve member being capable of being moved toward said detachable head and locked, once said non-circular tubular nut receiving magazine has been partially depleted of its contents, to cause the remainder of said nuts in said magazine to be fed to said detachable driving head.

4. In a driver for driving nuts of non-circular configuration upon their stems, a tubular body, a detachable driving end on said body detachably secured to said tubular body, an elongated noncircular tubular nut receiving magazine adapted to be inserted Within said tubular body once said detachable driving end has been removed from said tube, said magazine being adapted to hold said nuts in vertical alignment with said detachable driving end, means mounted in said driving end to deliver one nut at a time, said means comprising a pair of opposed double pronged dogs having pivotal mountings so as to permit spacing of the driven and undriven nuts so that the driven nut is driven completely home on its stem before release of the succeeding nut.

5. In a driver for driving nuts of non-circular configuration upon their stems, a tubular body, a detachable driving end on said body detachably secured to said tubular body, an elongated non circular tubular nut receiving magazine adapted to beiinserted Within said tubular body once said detachable driving end has been removed from said tube, said magazine being adapted to hold said nuts in vertical alignment with said detachable driving end upon replacement of said detachable driving head, and means in said driving end, comprising opposed double pronged dogs arranged to deliver nuts in seriatim to their respective studs.

ERIK E. ERIKSSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,537,929 Lee May 12, 1925 2,366,448 Greene et al Jan. 2, 1945 2,256,012 Blair Sept. 16, 1941 1,417,725 Fullenwider May 30, 1922 1,469,589 Palmer Oct. 21, 1923 1,585,338 Fisher et a1 May 18, 1926 1,419,100 Ayotte June 6, 1922 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 582,409 France Oct. 13, 1924 225,670 Great Britain Dec. 11, 1924 

